For years, Mind Matters has helped teens and adults do some of the hardest, most important work of their lives — building resilience, managing stress, and learning to treat themselves with compassion. We’ve seen what’s possible when people have the right tools and the right support. Now, we’re proud to introduce Mind Matters 2.0: A Map for Thriving — a fully updated curriculum grounded in the latest neuroscience and trauma-informed care, and we want you to see it up close. Join us for a live webinar with the author of Mind Matters, Carolyn Curtis, Ph.D., and Aaron Larson, Director of Programs, as they walk through the updated curriculum and show you what’s new, what’s deeper, and what’s possible for the people you serve. You’ll get a firsthand look at: New content in every lesson, reflecting current research on how the brain heals and grows A brand-new Lesson 6 — dedicated entirely to self-compassion and resilience New digital…
Trauma
From Adversity to Resilience: A Framework for Hope This webinar explores the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the protective power of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) in shaping long-term health and well-being. Participants will learn about the original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, the Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) study, the 4 Building Blocks of the HOPE Framework, and how we can foster healing and resilience. This session provides both foundational knowledge and practical strategies for applying a trauma-informed, resilience-focused approach in professional and community settings. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Define Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Understand the 4 Building Blocks of the HOPE Framework and how we can all help instill hope. Learn about different strategies to practice resilience and self-regulation for yourself and others. Presenter: Jessica Herzog-Hall; Director of the ACEs Indiana Coalition Who should attend: Anyone who works with, cares for,…
Mind Matters An Intervention for Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Youth across the nation are dealing with trauma and toxic stress like never before. Many times, their response is to act out or to start using. Parents, teachers, peers, family members, and the community can be frustrated by these behaviors and respond in negative ways, which can make matters worse. How can we help our young people make healthy decisions that are not based on emotional dysregulation or a response to trauma? We can educate them to recognize and regulate their emotions! This is currently being done in Gila County Arizona with the evidence-based program, Mind Matters. Arizona Youth Partnership is currently using Mind Matters in their Diversion Program, funded by Governor’s Office of Youth Faith and Families, in Gila County, Arizona schools. Students are referred to the Diversion Program who are at risk for substance issues based on excessive absences from…
The State of Youth Relationship Education Today Relationship education has moved from being an unfamiliar and unrecognized intervention to being an appreciated and effective intervention that can pull many levers in young people’s lives. We know from research that it can change sexual behaviors, reduce violence and the acceptance of violence. And, most recently, we see that relationship education can help build hope. Join Executive Director, Kay Reed, to learn about the current landscape for the field of relationship education. She will share new research outcomes, innovative funding streams and settings, along with challenges and opportunities for the field. Objectives: Participants will be able to: List outcomes that result from evidence-based relationship education. Target new state and federal funding to support relationship education programming. Share current challenges and opportunities for the field Presenter: Kay Reed, Executive Director Resources: January 2024 Webinar Slide Deck
The University of Louisville, Center for Family and Community Wellbeing study found that Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Increasing Resilience significantly reduced Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms and increased trauma coping skills. What makes Mind Matters so effective? In this webinar author Carolyn Curtis reviews the research behind Mind Matters’ effectiveness. She discusses the program’s theory of change as well as the individual lessons that bring results. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Understand what the University of Louisville study results say about the effectiveness of Mind Matters. Explain the theories used in Mind Matters. Describe the research behind the Mind Matters Pinwheel Curls. Presenter: Carolyn Curtis, Ph.D., Author of Mind Matters Who should attend: People who work with youth-in-care, community based organizations who work with youth in challenging circumstances, those who help people heal from trauma, organizations that focus on dating and interpersonal violence, adolescent group facilitators, secondary educators, state and federal…
In this webinar the new PACES Connection CEO, Ingrid Cockhren, will explore the connection between advise childhood experiences, trauma, attachment styles and various types of abuse in dating and romantic relationships. She will examine the systemic nature of trauma and adversity and how early adversity is a root cause of poor relationship outcomes in adolescence and early adulthood. This webinar will also outline systemic solutions for populations that have experienced historical trauma and adversity. Objectives: Webinar Participants will understand: 1. The impact of early adversity on the brains and bodies of children and adolescents. 2. The impact of early adversity on developing secure attachment. 3. The link between attachment in infancy and early childhood and adolescent/young adult relationships. 4. The systemic barriers that impact the attachment bond and dating relationships in populations that have experienced historical trauma. Presenters: Ingrid Cockhren, M.Ed., CEO of PACEs Connection Resources: April 2022 Slide Deck
In today’s uncertain times, many youth experience housing insecurity, unstable or unsafe relationships, and toxic stress. Social and emotional wellbeing can help these young people overcome adversity, heal from trauma, and build resilience, thereby increasing their hopes for the future. Learning and practicing mindfulness skills can be the pathway to increasing self-regulation, building healthy relationships, and increasing resilience. The question is how can youth move towards social and emotional wellbeing? During this webinar, we will explore some of the social-emotional needs of youth and how the Milestone Transitional Living Program in Utah utilizes mindfulness skills and the Mind Matters program in group sessions and in group homes. Join Mina Koplin, Lorri Lake, and Maygan Martinez as they share how they utilize the ACEs questionnaire, how they present Mind Matters content, and how they implement mindfulness skills in sessions with disconnected youth. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Identify the Social-Emotional needs…
In response to the multiple stresses on teens from COVID, The Dibble Institute is pleased to announce its latest project, Me & My Emotions, a fun, free, interactive website for teens. Me & My Emotions is designed to support teens’ social-emotional learning while increasing their resilience. With engaging graphics and bite-sized lessons plus awards and points, Me & My Emotions invites teens to slow down and check in with themselves as they learn skills from Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience. Join Kay Reed to explore the research from the ArtCenter College of Design that helped create Me & My Emotions and enjoy a guided tour of the website. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: Who Me & My Emotions will benefit and ways to promote it How the website is organized and what content is covered How Me & My Emotions can support teens individually as well as in…
Becky Antle, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and esteemed University Scholar at the University of Louisville, won The Dibble Institute’s national competition to evaluate Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience in 2019. As a result, Dr. Antle and her colleagues have conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of Mind Matters on a host of outcomes related to trauma symptoms, emotional regulation, coping and resiliency, and interpersonal skills for at-risk youth in a community-based sample. Youth in the study reported high levels of childhood trauma and related trauma symptoms upon entry into the program. Following provision of this evidence-informed program by trained providers within community-based organizations, youth reported a reduction in trauma symptoms and improvement in resiliency despite a number of complicating risk factors and across multiple demographic groups. Join the researchers on this project as they discuss their most recent findings from the pilot of Mind Matters with high-needs youth in the…
In this webinar, Dr. Heidi Rueda will discuss the implementation and pilot evaluation of Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience among middle- and high-school youth attending an after-school program in one of the most impoverished areas of San Antonio, Texas. She will be joined by two former and one current graduate students. Youth participated in the curriculum just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a unique opportunity to assess their perceptions in person immediately following its implementation, and by phone three months later when they were not able attend school or the after-school program. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Describe the population, program contexts, and evaluation study that was conducted. Explore youth’s perspectives of the program, including what they learned during the program and skills they continued to utilize during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore practitioners’ perspectives of the program, including potential adaptations for Hispanic middle- and high-school…
Join Dr. Kristen Plastino and Jennifer Todd from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio as they define trauma and discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). They will explore trauma’s effects on young people as well as youth’s reactions to trauma. You will learn how they shifted from the existing paradigm to a trauma-informed approach utilizing relationship education. They will share lessons they learned in the field as they implemented their approach with over 100,000 young people over the last 4 years in San Antonio. Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to: Describe trauma. Name two causes of Adverse Childhood Experiences. List three either immediate or delayed responses to the “Effects of Trauma.” List one lesson learned from the field. Presenters: Kristen Plastino, MD, UT Health SA, UT Teen Health, San Antonio Jennifer Todd, JD, RN, UT Health SA, UT Teen Health, San…
NOTE THE NEW TIME! 5 PM EASTERN AND 2 PM PACIFIC. Back by popular demand!* Come join Dixie and Carolyn in the Self-Soothing lesson from Mind Matters. Self-Soothing is a skill that is developed over time, through practice The goal of self-soothing is to dial-down the reactive response of the body’s central nervous system. A traumatized person needs a means of reducing the automatic reactivity of their nervous system. Self-soothing will help. You will learn and practice four self-soothing skills that you can use personally as well as share with colleagues and clients. *Over 3,000 people have viewed this class online. You will love it live! Participant Objectives: Connect the key concept of self-soothing/self-regulation to positive life outcomes Recognize the difference between taking the time to decide rather than immediately reacting to persons, places, and things Learn four different self-soothing skills that can be used inside and outside of the…
This is an interactive webinar describing the roles of responsible fatherhood (RF) programming in state and non-profit fatherhood organizations. The State of Ohio RF programming is supported through state TANF and was supported by the 2015 Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood (HM/RF) grant. Kimberly Dent addresses useful information for future HMI/RF grantees in addition to how a father’s past trauma influences his future success and challenges. Pathway, Inc., an RF community organization, is financially supported through the 2015-2020 HMI/RF grant and community partnerships. Avis Files shares the Community-Based lower case, RF organization’s approach, including its greatest program challenges and, based on experience, what does and does not work in resolving program issues. Objectives: Understanding the roles of state and community-based programming. Useful information for future grantees of RF or for those who work in an RF organization. Working solutions to fatherhood program challenges. The necessity of addressing trauma in program planning. Presenters:…
Becky Antle, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and esteemed University Scholar at the University of Louisville, won The Dibble Institute’s national competition to evaluate Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience in 2019. As a result, Dr. Antle and her colleagues are conducting a randomized control trial to examine the impact of Mind Matters on a host of outcomes related to youths’ emotional regulation, anxiety, interpersonal skills, and resilience. Join the researchers on this project as they discuss their initial findings from the pilot of Mind Matters with high needs youth in the Louisville community. They will focus on youth-related outcomes, lessons learned, and tips for implementing the Mind Matters curriculum. Objectives: Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: 1. How Mind Matters is being implemented and evaluated in the pilot 2. How Mind Matters is making a difference with the youth being served. Presenter: Becky Antle, Ph.D., MSSW, MFTA, Professor and University Scholar, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY….
Young people who have experienced trauma and toxic stress, such as child abuse and neglect, often have difficulty regulating their emotional responses when facing challenges in school, life, and relationships. Thus, Dr. Carolyn Curtis developed Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, a research-based curriculum effective in helping youth overcome adverse and traumatic childhood experiences. In this webinar, Dr. Carolyn Curtis, will discuss her new addendum to the Mind Matters curriculum. In this guidance, the content of Mind Mattersis divided into 15- to 20-minute segments that can now be taught in one-on-one settings. With these adjustments, the Mind Matters curriculum can now be used for home visitors, mentors, and case workers, as well as anyone who works with young people in a one-on-one setting. Join us in this informative and interactive webinar as we learn about the new, additional approach at implementing the Mind Matters program! Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, Ph.D., Developer of Mind Matters, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Founder of the…
It is commonly said that youth who are exposed to interparental domestic violence are at an increased risk of experiencing dating violence in their romantic relationships. This phenomenon is often referred to as “the cycle of violence” or intergenerational transmission of violence. There is ample evidence supporting “the cycle of violence” hypothesis, yet, most youth exposed to interparental domestic violence do not go on to experience violence in their romantic relationships. How can we explain these seemingly opposing findings? Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: What factors can increase or decrease adolescents’ risk of dating violence. How individuals can help prevent or break the cycle of violence. How to help promote posttraumatic growth and resilience in adolescents’ romantic relationships. Presenter: Megan Haselschwerdt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Child and Family Studies, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Resources: January 2019 Webinar PPT
David Murphey, Ph.D., research fellow and DataBank director at Child Trends, will review the science of childhood trauma, and the prevalence of childhood experiences that can create it. Trauma, or toxic stress, can have lasting harmful effects on multiple body-systems, affecting lifetime health and well-being. Drawing on recently released data collected nationwide, the presentation will highlight implications for those who work with children and families, or on their behalf. Learning objectives: Identify some of the adverse childhood experiences (“ACEs”) that can create toxic stress Understand the overall prevalence of ACEs, as well as how that varies according to type of ACE, region of the country, and race/Hispanic origin. Identify some strategies that can reduce the negative impacts of ACEs Presenter: Dr. David Murphey, PhD, Research Fellow and Director of Child Trends DataBank Resources: ACES Brief
Childhood trauma impacts growth and success in all areas of a young person’s life, including their capacity to form and maintain healthy relationships. How do we most effectively address the needs of traumatized youth in relationship skills programs? First, everyone in an organization needs to understand trauma, including administrators, supervisors and instructors. Then, we need to provide young people relief from distressing experiences by teaching them effective skills to calm and manage their emotions. Learn some modest yet proven programmatic changes that will enhance your organization’s effectiveness with young people who have experienced adversity in their childhoods. Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, MFT, PhD, Author of “Mind Matters” and Founder of the Relationship Skills Center in Sacramento, CA
As a facilitator, the ultimate hope for program participants is to find meaning in curriculum sessions that eventually lead to behavior change. For some young people who have experienced trauma and adversity, the capacity to experiment with change can be frightening and overwhelming. By incorporating a Harm Reduction Framework into your facilitation, young people are given more opportunities to experience success, believe change is possible, and to strengthen their resiliency. During this webinar, participants will: Review and define Harm Reduction as a framework Discuss the benefits and challenges of Harm Reduction framework Review the role of resiliency and its importance in changing behavior Gain practical tools to improve resiliency for program participants Presenter: Kim Frierson, Training Specialist for RHYTTAC, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center
Young people who have experienced trauma and toxic stress often have difficulty regulating their emotional responses when facing challenges in school, life, and relationships The Dibble Institute is pleased to introduce Mind Matters, a new curriculum to help young people begin to say, “I am not a victim of what happened to me.” Mind Matters’ 12 one-hour lessons teach participants to respond to negative experiences with innovative methods based on current neuroscience. Students learn to address their physical, relational, and mental needs. The skills taught in Mind Mattersare designed to be practiced over a lifetime. The curriculum is not meant to be group therapy or to replace psychotherapy. Rather, it is intended to be facilitated by paraprofessionals to inspire, uplift, and set young people on the journey of healing as they cultivate deeper resilience. Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, MFT, Ph.D., Developer of Mind Matters, Founder of the Relationship Skills Center in Sacramento, CA….